Sleeping in the Crib

So its unbelievable,  but our daughter actually sleeps in her crib now. She would only sleep in her swing at night. I would get her to fall asleep with it swinging, and then after she fell asleep I would turn it off.  I would always try to get her to sleep in the crib but it would never work for me. I would rock her to sleep in my arms, but the minute her back hit the crib mattress she woke up crying and screaming.  So of course I would just cave in and take her to the swing and let her sleep there.
I would talk to my other friends and they all had their babies sleeping in the crib.  Most of them had tried the cry-t-out method.  I was starting to feel that it was very necessary to get Aubrey to sleep in the crib.  Not only because she was getting older, but we really needed to get her swing out of our room and to maybe try to get her on a schedule as well.  She seemed to be starting to sleep about 6 hours without waking up, so that was a plus.
I, of course, Google'd "getting your baby to sleep in the crib", and came across Baby Center's literature about the subject.  I read many comments from other moms who was in the same boat as me.  Some actually slept in car seats at night. I started to not feel so terrible for letting her sleep in the swing.
Then I saw the pediatrician for her 4 month check up, and I was informed that she really should be sleeping in her crib.  It was kind of like when a parent is disappointed in you feeling.  I started to really feel bad that I didn't try harder to get her to sleep in the crib.
So this is what we did to get her to sleep in the crib.  Now this is just what worked for us, however I know every baby is different.
Since she loved the swing, we put her swing in her room.  We turned on the sound machine and the humidifier (both very loud) and we had her fall asleep in the swing in her room.  I realized that she never really spent much time in her room other then for diaper changes, so I knew we needed to get her to feel comfortable in her room and that getting her to fall asleep in there, whether it was in a swing or not, was important.
Once she fell asleep in the swing (we made sure she was in a deep sleep), we then moved her into her crib.  We did that for a couple of nights and then I would just nurse her to sleep, and she would go right into her crib and sleep.  In the middle of the night when she would wake for feedings, I would nurse her, and put her back in the crib and she would immediately just fall right back asleep.  She actually really loves her crib now.  I go in to get her in the mornings and she is kicking her feet around and making baby noises and having a great time!
I will say that she doesn't nap very well yet in her crib and I still sometimes have to use the swing for naps during the day.  However I am very happy that we didn't have to do the cry it out method to get her to sleep in the crib!
Hopefully this will help any of you out there with the same problem!
Goodnight!!

Nap troubles

So my soon to be 3 month old has really been resisting her naps lately.  Yesterday she didn't nap at all.  And when I do finally get her to fall asleep, she wakes up 30 min later crying with a gas pain.  I pick her up and burp her and she lets a good burp.  She also seems to be getting worse with her sleep schedule.  She used to sleep a solid 5 hours through the night, and now she is up every 2-3 hours to eat.  She may be going through a growth spurt, I am not sure, but she has been doing this for a couple of weeks now.  Does anyone else have this problem?

The Waiting Game!

I am 39 weeks and 4 days.  I am still only 1 cm dilated, which I have been that way for about 3 weeks!!!!! grrrrr!!!! I feel as though my sweet Aubrey is just happy and comfortable in there and no plans to come out soon.  The doctor wants me to come in on Monday for a sono to check the baby's weight and how she is doing and they will decide on Monday whether they will induce me on Tues or let me go until 41 weeks.
One thing I am surely over in this pregnancy, is the increased anxiety I noticed I have been experiencing.  For example, yesterday at my doctors appointment, I kept getting hot flashes.  I also had MAJOR anxiety the whole time I was speaking to my doctor.  My face was beat red, I felt like my whole body was red in hives, and I was sweating like crazy.  I am so over that!!

Well I am extremely exhausted, I only get about 5 hours of sleep a night and work full time, so that is all I am going to write for now.  My last day of work before maternity leave is tomorrow so hopefully I will catch up on blogging then.
I do fully plan to blog frequently once Aubrey is born.  I want to be able to share all of her firsts with you all!

Good night!!!

Pinterest Recipe!

I found this yummy recipe from Pinterest and decided to try it out for dinner.  It was super easy to make (this coming from someone who typically can not cook for the life of me).  For the grilled chicken, I squeezed lemon juice on it and added pepper.  It was a great combination, and wasn't a heavy meal.  It filled me up, but the sauce for the penne wasn't too thick and filling.  Here is the recipe. Enjoy!! :)
p.s-my picture representation isn't nearly as pretty as on the website with the recipe!

DIY Head Bands

So, I absolutely LOVE pinterest, and while I was on there I found this great tutorial on how to make little girl head bands with felt flowers.  It seemed like an easy enough project for me to attempt, and I liked the step-by-step instructions in the tutorial.  So I wound up giving it a try this weekend, and here is how they turned out!  They were super easy to make and very inexpensive.  I did do a practice flower before I started, and the flower does take a little practice to make it look how you want it to.  I also used a 5th flower cut out at the end instead of only 4.  I also bought everything needed to make this at Joann Fabrics.  The elastic band came in a pack of 2, and the felt squares were so inexpensive.  Here is the link to the tutorial. Hope you enjoy!

Cesarean vs. Vaginal Birth

When I first got pregnant I remember telling my mother-in-law that I hope I can have a c-section and not have to give birth vaginally.  Boy, have my thoughts changed completely!  I was very naïve in the thinking that a c-section was the way to go.  What changed my thoughts?  Research! 

I was bored one day at home, and wanted to watch something on my apple tv that was baby/pregnancy related.  I found this documentary called The Business of Being Born, by Ricki Lake.  I thought it appeared interesting, and decided to watch it.  The documentary shows several women doing home births naturally, instead of going to the hospital.  In the documentary Ricki Lake discusses how she felt cheated in her birthing experience at the hospital.  She feels as though she was pushed into having a c-section when it wasn’t really necessary.  She felt robbed of the birthing experience.  In the documentary she shows statistics on the amount of c-sections being done, and the most frequent times they are done.  Clearly, it is more beneficial for doctors to have a c-section, then wait the grueling hours with the mother until the baby is ready to come out.  Majority of women that were given pitocin to induce their labor (pitocin can also be used mid labor), wound up having to have a c-section.

What is pitocin?  Pitocin is a synthetic form of oxytocin(http://www.childbirth.org/articles/pit.html). Oxytocin is a natural hormone produced by a woman’s body. Pitocin is used to induce labor or increase the strength of contractions.   The important thing to know is that contractions induced by pitocin are different from your body’s natural contractions in strength and effect.  The induced force of the contraction from pitocin may decrease uterine blood flow, therefore also reducing oxygen to the baby.  Fetal distress is more common with pitcoin use and you will continuous electronic fetal monitoring.  There are several risks for the mother and baby when given pitocin, you can read them here, http://www.childbirth.org/articles/pit.html.

Many women are eager and anxious to be induced, which is understandble.  They are ready to meet their little one.  However being induced, may result in a c-section.  I want to list some of the risks of having a c-section.  I got this information from http://www.americanpregnancy.org/labornbirth/cesareanrisks.html.  The risks include, infection; hemorrhage; injury to organs; adhesions; maternal mortality; risk of additional surgery, ect.  The important thing to realize is that having a c-section is a MAJOR surgery.  I think our society has become so socially accepted to planning our c-section’s, that they forget what a major and dangerous surgery this really is. 

Of course having a vaginal birth is no walk in the park either.  There are also risks to vaginal births, though not as severe, but they should be mentioned as well.  I got this information from http://www.childbirthconnection.org/pdfs/cesareanbookletinsert.pdf.  The risks include painful vaginal area; bowel problems; sexual problems; excessive bleeding; tearing; hemorrhoids.  Even though there are risks to having a vaginal birth there are also benefits.  Tonight I found one from Baby Talk magazine.  A vaginal birth exposes newborns to bacteria that help build their immune systems.  Other benefits include: babies born vaginally have a lower risk respiratory problems, the passage down the birth canal stimulates the baby’s cardiovascular system, babies receive protective bacteria which is crucial for developing a balanced immune system, and babies also benefit from hormonal surges which results in them being more alert and able to connect with their mothers at birth.  The list goes on and on about the increased benefits to a vaginal birth, you can find the rest of the information here: http://www.pregnancy-and-giving-birth.com/vaginal-birth-benefits.html.

Now knowing the risks and benefits I feel I am able to develop a birth plan of having a vaginal birth.  However, I also know that there are certain risks where you will have no choice but to have a c-section.  Some of those risks are if the baby is breeched or if the umbilical cord is wrapped around the baby.  In that case the safest delivery for the baby and the mother is having a c-section and I am fully aware that that can always be a possibility and to be open to having a c-section for those reasons.  I just want for mothers to do their research before allowing the doctor to induce them. 

Coupon Savvy

With a baby on the way, I have learned that I need to start being smarter with my money.  That's always easier said than done.  Every little bit of saving helps though, and if you can save big, its totally worth it.  Lets face it, having kids is not cheap!  Between the stage I am at right now, with planning for a baby and buying all the necessary things that you need, ie. the crib, changing station, pack and play, diapers, bottles, and more, and then the stage of when they start school and all of those expenses, having a child (or more) isn't cheap! So saving money on other places that you can, like food, is a PLUS!  A couple of years ago when my husband and I were living down south, my sister-in-law showed me a money saving site.  It works really well if you live in the south and can shop at Publix (which I miss so so so sooo much!), however now that I live up north, I find myself still finding awesome coupons and deals.  So I wanted to share this site with you: www.southernsavers.com. 

You can also like her facebook page which is great for seeing updates on your news feed of the current deals she has.  One deal that I am excited to use it the 50 free prints from Shutterfly.  I already have a shutterfly account, but my husband doesn't :) 

Hope you enjoy the site! :) 

Cravings?

Cravings during pregnancy?  Crazy food cravings?  I haven't really craved anything to crazy so far.  During my first trimester, I was craving pickles all the time, but now I'm not interested in pickles.  I do crave salt and vinegar chips though, they are so irresistible! The other thing that I absolutely crave all of the time, is Panera Bread Macaroni and Cheese!  It is so creamy and cheesy, it's delicious!  The only bad part about that, is that eating at Panera Bread all the time can be pretty expensive :(.  One nice thing I discovered though, is that you can sign up for a "My Panera" rewards card.  Every time you eat there, have them swipe your card, and you earn points.  Each points you earn, gets you free things the next time you go in.  For example, last week I had a free drink, so I got there yummy lemonade, and today I had a free smoothie, so I got a mango smoothie (wasn't my favorite). Just ask the cashier ringing you up for the card, they will give you information and you can just go online and fill it out :)

Make it a blessed day!

Good morning! Last night I was reading New Parenting magazine before I went to bed, and I found a very interesting article discussing cloth diapers vs. disposable.  I can't wait to get home from work today to discuss the article with you, and you will be surprised! I know I was!
This morning my husband and I prayed together before he left for work.  I pray everyone out there reading this has a blessed day and to make the most of your day! :-)

My Favorite Part about Being Pregnant...

Yesterday as I was browsing facebook, I noticed Baby Center asked a poll question on their page, "What is the best part of being pregnant?" Many women answered, "when its over!".  Some answered, "baby shower!"  So it got me thinking.  I started to think about life before I was pregnant, and now life while I am pregnant.  I thought to myself, what is my favorite part of being pregnant?  Well, a few things popped into my head, one of which is eating all the time, which is always fun! :) I also thought about how excited I am for my baby shower's coming up. However to me, the real excitement of being pregnant, is the planning and preparation.  The anticipation of meeting our sweet gift from God! Do you remember when you were a kid, and how excited you got to open your presents on Christmas day?  That's how I feel about having my daughter.  I am so unbelievably excited to bring her into this world, to meet her, to teach her how to be a strong, confident, polite woman.  I just love all of the planning, and picking out her nursery theme, her clothes, her toys.  Getting everything I need before the big day comes.  To me, that is the BEST part of being pregnant!!
So far I am 21 weeks along.  I am feeling good, although still very tired.  Sleeping at night is starting to become a little difficult.  I find that my legs get very restless at night, I can't seem to get comfortable, and I am even a little agitated at night.  From what I hear, the sleeping only gets more difficult.  I suppose that's preparation for having a baby keep you up all night!
Here is my 21 week baby bump picture.  We had already told our friends and family for weeks now that we were having a girl, but I uploaded this picture to FB to tell my extended friends and family the good news :)

Message of the Day

This morning I was watching Joel Osteen.  My husband and I haven't gotten established in a church here yet since we moved, so I really like to watch Joel on Sunday mornings.  His messages are inspirational and are usually just what I need to hear.  This morning's message was about not letting your struggles, obstacles, and challenges get the best of you.  Don't let yourself be defeated with your negative thinking.  Don't tell yourself that you'll never get out of debt, or your current situation will never get better, because when you start thinking and speaking negatively, God lets go and stops doing the work for you.  When you start thinking negatively, that becomes your reality.  Instead, have the faith in God and be positive and say and know that your problems will get better, you will get out of town, you will own a house one day, you will beat that cancer, ect.  He used an example of sitting back in a chair and kicking your feet up on top of your problems.  Look down on your problems, not up to them.  And to always remember that we lead by FAITH and not by SIGHT!!!

I will certainly be taking this message very seriously and plan to adapt that in my life as well with my comments and thinking about things.  I know that God has a plan for us and will get us to where we want to be!

Happy Sunday!!

p.s-Hubby and I will be going to a new church next Sunday!  It's hard because he doesn't have every Sunday off, but I can't wait to try it out.  We really want to get established up here before Aubrey is born, so we can have her christened in October.

Easter Treats!

I saw this idea on Pinterest and loved it!  We have a ton of little nieces and nephews and I thought this would be such a fun idea to make for them!

:-)

Enjoy!

18 Weeks!

So I am now 18 weeks, actually I will be 19 weeks on Monday.  I am feeling great, and I definitely have noticed an increase in my energy levels.  Today, for example, I was on a crazed mission to completely organize my husbands closet and clean and vacuum and do laundry.  Next is my closet!  I have to keep reminding myself though to take frequent breaks because I know I don't want to over do it.  As for my hormones, they are always unpredictable!  Twice this week, the littlest things made me just start crying in front of my husband!  That is so not like me, because I am usually very shy about crying, and one of those that cries by herself in her bedroom or in the shower.  Luckily my little cry outbursts only lasted for a few minutes, and then I felt fine! Gotta love your hormones!! :) I still haven't felt Aubrey kick yet..I have read in the books that between 16-20 weeks you will feel your baby move.  There have been a couple of times where I THINK I may have felt her kick, but nothing that made me say that was definitely her.  So I am anxiously waiting for the day I can feel her :) Here are some of my 18 week belly pix that were taken earlier this week!

Smoothie Time!

So I have been completely obsessed with Pinterest lately, and I found this recipe for a nutritional (and hopefully delicious) smoothie from hipmomsgogreen.com.  I am very excited to try this smoothie out! Especially being pregnant, I am trying to eat healthier and being that I am not a FAN of vegetables, it's nice to find ways to disguise the taste of them in things such as a smoothie.  So here is the recipe, let me know if you try it out and how it tastes :)

All ingredients are organic:)

2 Cups filtered water
1 T. coconut Oil
1 T. organic pure maple syrup
2 T. fresh or bottled lemon juice
1 Cup Kale or large handful
1 bag of strawberries
add a few blueberries to cut the “green” color (if it matters to your children)

Throw all ingredients into the Vitamix and blend until very smooth. You can also try variations of fruit and also spinach with it too.  Enjoy!

http://www.hipmomsgogreen.com/home/strawberry-lemonadepacked-full-of-nutrients/

~xo

The Wait is Over!

So last Friday, we got a 3D sono of our little peanut and also found out the sex!  We are having a GIRL!!!

Even though Jay really was hoping for a boy, so that he can teach him sports and all that manly boy stuff, we are both so EXCITED and happy that we are having a girl.  We have already picked out a name for our sweetie pie, and decided on Aubrey Ann.  Ann is the same middle name as my husbands mother, so it has sentimental value :).  So as soon as we found out that we are having a girl, I couldn't resist and went out and bought a few things! (I got a little carried away) I'll post pictures of some of the things I already got her later!

So now that I know we are having a girl, I am anxious to start working on all of my DIY projects I have been planning!  I will post them as I make them, along with pictures and instructions! :) 

16 Week Check Up

Last night the hubby and I went to my 16 week doctors appointment.  The doctor went over the first part of our Down Syndrome test results.  At the start of the test, I was at risk of that of a 26 year old.  After the results came in, the risk of down syndrome is now that of a 21 year old.  The doctor said my results were great.  Even though they were great, I know that those results are not always 100% accurate.  My sister-in-law was told that her son had a high chance of having down syndrome, and he was born a perfectly happy, healthy baby! So I am happy but I know you can never be too sure with those results.  At the visit, they drew more blood from me.  I usually always request the same nurse to take my blood because she is so friendly and nice and does it so fast and I never feel a thing.  However last night, I decided to try going with another nurse.  Unfortunately it did hurt and wasn't as quick.  So next time I am definitely sticking to my usual nurse.  We also got to hear the baby's heart beat.  The doctor was having a tough time getting the heart beat because all we heard was the baby moving around A LOT!!! It was so neat to hear the baby moving around like crazy in there.  Once she put the monitor really low on my belly she was able to pick up the heart rate.  So then of course my mind started wandering about the old wives tales, that if you carry your baby low, than its a boy.  So next Friday is the day we will find out for sure, FINALLY!!!  I have been dying to start making my DIY things for baby.  I can't wait to start the baby's mobile and I want to start making some onesies with iron ons. I also wish I learned how to sew.  My hubby's cousin has a sewing machine, and it is my goal to learn how to sew and make our little one a bib and a blanket!!
I am looking forward to tomorrow night, because Jay and I are attending a "new parents" class at my doctors office. I am excited to learn more about what to expect, and I also hope to meet some other new mommies and make some more friends.  Well that is all for now, have a good day! =)

Family is Forever

We got to visit my sister who is still recovering from brain surgery.  I am so happy to say that she is doing a lot better.  She looks so much better and seems to be feeling better.  I am so thankful and blessed to be close with my family, and now more than ever family is really important.  I think when you are pregnant you really appreciate family even more.  I want my little one to have a close and supportive relationship with everyone in both mine and my husband's family.  I think everyone in life goes through phases where they value their friendship relationships more than their families.  I know I went through a phase like that myself.  But as I've gotten older I realize and have learned that your friends aren't always there for you.  They don't seem to always care or want to find the time for you.  I have realized that no matter what, through thick and thin, through love and hate, your family is ALWAYS there for you.  It's nice to know that no matter what your family always has your back.  Not to say that is always peachy with family, of course there is sometimes drama and disagreements, but at the end of the day, that is your family and you can never take that away.  Friends will certainly come and go, but family is forever.  Okay so enough of my thoughts about family, here are a few pictures from our trip.

My sister and her friend, she looks pretty amazing for having just gone through brain surgery!!!

15 Week Belly Picture

I am actually going to be 16 weeks along in 2 days.  This picture was shot earlier in the week.  I am feeling great.  Sleep is getting much better for me, with less trips to the bathroom in the middle of the night.  The first trimester was the worst for that!  Morning sickness is gone, although I have noticed that little things (smell and sight) make me start to gag, and want to throw up, a lot easier now than ever.  Very strange.  Other than that, feeling great and enjoying pregnancy!  Counting down the days to find out the baby's gender...so excited!

DIY

So lately I have been feeling very crafty and very much in the mood for DIY projects!  It started when I was reading another blog, godblessournest.blogspot.com and I came across the most adorable baby mobile.  She made it herself, and also posted instructions on how to make it.  That really inspired me to try to be a little more crafty.

I went to Michael's and started to buy the main wire round piece that you need, but for now that is all I can buy for this project until I know the baby's gender.  Although my hunch is still that it is a girl.  When I was at Michael's, they had so many Valentines Day decorations out, that I fell into their trap.  But everything seemed very pricey, including the vases.  So I decided to buy a mason jar for around $2, and some of the shorter flowers that were on sale for 40% off.  Then when I was waiting in line, a very nice lady voluntarily gave me her extra 40% off coupon!! That was so nice, and that like never happens to me!! So for very little cost, I made an adorable set up on my dresser for Valentines Day!

I saw this next picture while browsing through other blogs.  It's a beautiful lamp from Pottery Barn.  I have an older lamp in my bedroom that I have been dying to do something else with.  I am planning to try to make it look something like this.  I am going to get a hot glue gun and flowers from Michael's (love that place!).  I will post pictures when I am done! (fingers crossed)

The next DIY project on my list, I am so EXCITED about!  I forget what blog I got this idea from, but she was giving this to her friend as a baby shower gift.  They are stick ons, and she just stuck them on a onesie for each month of the babie's age.  I can not wait to do this and post pics of my little one each month! How clever. She got them from this shop on Etsy: http://www.etsy.com/listing/75693571/handmade-monthly-milestone-onesie?ref=cat1_gallery_31

Okay, with all of these DIY projects I plan to do I better get busy! Have a great day!

Controversial Topic!

Hello!  So I recently posted an article on my facebook page, without fully reading the article.  I have heard in the past and seen in the past on the news that the bumpers in the cribs are actually not that safe for your little one.  Well when I posted this article, it QUICKLY got a lot of attention from people.  It actually kind of became negative towards me for even posting it, so of course I removed it.  But anyway, I wanted to get some opinions from other fellow moms on their thought on this article.  The big topic seems to be, if you don't use the bumpers, your little one's arms/legs will get caught and can possibly break.  The other view from this article, is that if you do use a bumper, your little one could suffocate.  So I am going to fearfully post this article again, to see what you guys think of it?  Please share your opinions and experience as I am still debating if I should use one for my future baby.

http://www.cnn.com/2011/10/18/health/no-bumpers-cribs-sids-parenting/index.html

Basically, what I have gathered is that the traditional bumpers used in cribs, are causing babies to suffocate from ages 1 month to 2 years old.  This article is pretty conflicting with itself, but it still points out the dangers of babies suffocating.

So, I did some research and I found Breathable Baby mesh crib bumpers.  They are even sold at Babies R' Us.  They seem to be safer, and were recommended in the article.  I am planning to use one in my soon to be's crib. Here's the link to the mesh crib bumpers: http://www.google.com/products/catalog?hl=en&tok=gh1lCm71H4AXhE0-4ABk1A&cp=13&gs_id=1e&xhr=t&q=bumpers+for+cribs&gs_upl=&biw=1280&bih=675&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.r_cp.,cf.osb&um=1&ie=UTF-8&tbm=shop&cid=15169367266173682781&sa=X&ei=AGQwT9fECYXY0QHTwZy0Ag&sqi=2&ved=0CJMBEPMCMAE

Only 3 weeks away from finding out the sex =)

Only 3 more weeks until I get to find out our Baby's sex! So our doctor won't tell us the sex until I am at 20 weeks.  However, I found out from a friend who did this at 15 weeks, that I can go to a 3d/4d sono facility and they can reveal the sex sooner for you!  Of course it's not free, and of course it's not covered under insurance, BUT I just absolutely can NOT wait any longer!  I think it's a girl, and I have had several people tell me that they think it's a girl as well.  You know, the old wives tales of how a woman shows, ect.  However, for the first time ever, my family who was in town from FL, just recently told me that they think its BOY!  Totally threw me off, because I have literally been planning for a girl this whole time.  My husband and I have even already picked out a girl name, I've picked out bedding, ect.  I know, I know, a bit eccentric, but I just can't help it.  So in 3 mere weeks I will find out.

Boy or Girl?!

Hi all! Sorry I haven't been blogging lately, I have been so...well..LAZY! Really no excuse other than pregnancy fatigue is no joke! I am so exhausted by the time I get home from work every night!  I am in my second trimester now, and hoping for a "burst of energy" that I hear you get?? Anyway, usually when I'm working I come up with a million great ideas to blog about, and of course I think I will blog as soon as I get home, but that just doesn't happen.

So, what I want to talk about in this blog, is finding out the sex of your baby.When and how you found out? Recently, several of my friends have been finding out the sex of their baby at only 16 weeks!!! Which is great, except my doctor won't tell me the sex until 20 weeks =(.  I asked if I could find out sooner, and I was told no, and that it's not as accurate at 16 weeks.  So out of curiosity, at how many weeks did you find out your baby's sex?  I am patiently waiting until 20 weeks over here!

A few weeks ago I was reading Rosie Pope's blog (I LOVE HER BTW!!) and she was discussing how her and her husband found out the sex of their baby.  They would have the sono tech write the sex of the baby on a  piece of paper and stick it in an envelope.  Then they would go to the bar, where they first met I believe, and open the envelope.  After that, they would go to dinner and spend that time together talking about it and celebrating it.

I think that is such a neat, personal, and magical way to find out together the sex.  Do any of you have any stories like this?  I am still deciding how I want my husband and I to find out the sex.  Being that this is our first, I don't know if I could wait a second longer, and would need to know right away!!!

~Lu
xo

Wood Toys vs. Plastic Toys?

Recently I was watching an episode of "Kourtney & Kim Take NY", and Kourtney was stating how she feels wooden toys are safer for her son.  So, just because she said that I immediately started registering for wood toys for my soon to be little one.  I thought, wow they must be safer, so I am going to take the safe route!!  Then today when I was out shopping with Krystal, she brought up the point that the wood toys still have paint on them, and how good can that be if the baby is putting that in his/her mouth.  I didn't even really thing about that.  I mean what kind of chemicals are in the paint on these wood toys?  That certainly can't be good for your tot to have in his mouth!!  So I decided to search the web to see what kind of answers I could find on which is safer, wood toys or plastic toys.  And to my shock, I found that both types can be potentially very dangerous.   


I found this amazing website called, www.safbaby.com.  On this website they list reasons why both can be dangerous due to the different chemicals.  They also provide a great list of the safe toys out their for your loved one.  http://www.safbaby.com/12-things-your-child-should-avoid.
Something that I found very interesting, is that even if the toy itself is safe, the packaging used on the toy, could make it potentially dangerous.  Here is a line from their website, "Hides everywhere from plastic toys, mattress covers, shower curtains, rain gear, lunchboxes and so much more. Alarmingly, a very healthy toy may even be packaged in PVC/vinyl, which leeches onto the “healthy” toy."


I was doing some searching on their site and here is one of my favorite sites so far with safe toys.  http://www.greentoys.com/index.html. They're toys are BPA, PVC, and phthalates free.  


What are your thoughts on this topic?  Have any of you found any safe toys that you trust?  

BabyGanics so far loving!

I will be talking a lot in this blog about my good friend/cousin-in-law Krystal.  She gives me a lot of tips and advice and information about mommy products.  She just told me yesterday about products called BabyGanics.  They were just BOGO at Babies R' Us this weekend.  So of course, being bored and having nothing to do, I decided to take a dreamy stroll through babies and browse all the cute and adorable baby stuff, (which I can't buy because I don't know the gender yet). I found the BabyGanics products, that were practically all wiped out.  I was very impressed with the fact that they don't use any toxins or pretty much anything harmful to you.  I got the lotion and the tile and tub cleaner.  Haven't used the cleaner yet, but so far I love the ocean.  I think it's very important for people to start waking up and reading labels.  Reading all the HORRIBLE stuff that are in our everyday lotions, cleaning supplies, shampoo, ect.  I highly recommend their line of products and I am looking forward to trying the rest of them.  I took a line from their website which is on their "Science of Safety" page.  Everyone should take this seriously.  According to the EPA, indoor air pollution is one of the nation's most pressing personal health concerns. Peak concentrations of 20 toxic compounds - some linked with cancer and birth defects - were 200 to 500 times higher inside some homes than outdoors, according to a 5-year EPA study that surveyed 600 homes in six cities

http://www.babyganics.com/